The present invention generally relates to semiconductor devices and production methods thereof, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having a selectively doped heterostructure and a method of producing such a semiconductor device.
Generally, a semiconductor device which can operate at a high speed has a heterostructure using AlGaAs/GaAs. The GaAs layer functions as a channel layer. But since the carrier mobility within the GaAs layer is small, the improvement of the characteristics of the semiconductor device is limited thereby.
A high electron mobility transistor (hereinafter simply referred to as a HEMT) is known as one kind of semiconductor device which can operate at a high speed. In order to improve the carrier mobility in the HEMT, it is conceivable to use an InP substrate and form a heterojunction using a compound semiconductor which has a high carrier mobility compared to that of GaAs and is lattice matched to the InP substrate. In other words, an intrinsic InGaAs layer which is lattice matched to the InP substrate is used as the channel layer. Conventionally, AlGaAs is used for a carrier supply layer but the characteristic thereof is unstable due to the charging and discharging carriers caused by the DX center, and in order to avoid this problem, it is conceivable to use an InGaP layer which is lattice matched to GaAs as the carrier supply layer.
As described above, when the InGaAs channel layer is lattice matched to the InP substrate, an AlInAs layer or an InP layer may be used as the carrier supply layer. However, AlInAs includes a DX center and it is known that it is difficult to generate a Schottky junction with InP. In other words, a trap is formed by the DX center as shown in FIG. 1 which shows a band of the AlInAs. In addition, a forbidden band is generated in the current-voltage characteristic. Moreover, the biggest problem is that InGaAs, AlInAs or InP which makes the lattice matching with InP cannot be etched by a selective dry etching using a gas mixture of CCl.sub.2 F.sub.2 and He as the etching gas. For these reasons, it is impossible to produce an enhancement/depletion type HEMT which is a basis of semiconductor integrated circuit devices.
On the other hand, FIG. 2 shows a band structure of the AlInAs/InGaAs heterojunction when the carrier supply layer is made of AlInAs with an impurity density of 1.5.times.10.sup.18 cm.sup.-3. There is a potential difference of 0.55 eV between the conduction bands of AlInAs and InGaAs layers, and a potential difference of 0.6 eV between the conduction bands of the AlInAs layer and the gate which form a Schottky junction. In order to make an enhancement type HEMT in this case, the AlInAs carrier supply layer must have an extremely small thickness in the order of 70 .ANG.. But when the AlInAs carrier supply layer has such a small thickness, the two-dimensional electron gas characteristic of the HEMT is easily deteriorated by the damage caused by a dry etching. On the other hand, when the impurity density is decreased for the purpose of allowing for a thicker AlInAs carrier supply layer, it becomes difficult to obtain an ohmic contact and it is difficult to obtain a two-dimensional electron gas channel on the drain side. Therefore, it is impossible make an efficient enhancement/depletion type HEMT due to the band structure of the AlInAs/InGaAs heterojunction.